चारदह

Meaning

Fourteen; often referring to the full moon of the fourteenth night.

Detailed Meaning

In Persian and classical Urdu, 'chārdah' denotes the number fourteen. In this couplet, it occurs in the genitive compound 'mah-e-chārdah' (the moon of the fourteenth night, or full moon), personifying the radiant beloved whose absence has reduced the lover to a slender crescent (hilāl).

Etymology

Persian چاردہ (chārdah), a contraction of چهارده (chahārdah), meaning fourteen.

Usage

In ghazals, it is almost exclusively paired with 'mah' (moon) or 'shab' (night) to symbolize consummate beauty and the radiant visage of the beloved.

Examples

Synonyms

Related Words